Simon's Wonderful Life
by BlytheHasFreckles
Summary: Simon Seville has a wonderful life: a good job, a supportive wife, lovely children, and a stable home. But one day when things take a turn for the worst, he rescues an angel named Christian who will grant him anything he desires as a reward for saving his life. What will happen when Simon wishes he was never born? Inspired by "It's a Wonderful life!" SxJ Cartoon-verse!
1. All Work and No Play

**Hiya, Friend-os! :D It's me again. This is my third story this week! I don't know why, but recently I've had a ton of storylines forming in my head over the past month and I just gotta get 'em out on fine print! Also, this is my first Simonette story! Yay! :)**

This one is inspired by the movie "It's a Wonderful Life," which was a classic Christmas movie from 1946. For many, it's a family tradition and an American classic, but if you haven't seen it, I'd recommend doing so! It's a heartwarming tale. I'm not gonna say the storyline because this story is going to be closely related to it and I don't wanna ruin anything, but it is centered around the theme of "You don't know what you've got until it's gone."

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy and feel free to give me some reviews! (They are greatly appreciated, believe me!)

*Note: This is rated T for drug and alcohol use, adult situations and slight swearing.  
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Alvin and the Chipmunks or the Chipettes.

Chp 1: All Work and No Play

It was nine o'clock on a Sunday evening and once again, there was no movement on the second story of the Seville house. Simon Seville had once again fallen asleep on his keyboard mid-way through his seventh physics progress report that week and hadn't had a moment to nap in between paragraphs. It had been six months since he was accepted to work full-time at the research facility in the physics department at the Hancock Institute of Technology and he hadn't had a moment's rest since then. He spent late nights by his glowing computer screen with a cup of caffeinated hazelnut coffee, just typing away and losing track of time as well as sleep. By then, Simon had forgotten the very definition of the word "vacation."

As usual, Jeanette would wrap up dinner at around seven every evening, put the kids to bed, then she'd peek into Simon's study to see if he was still busy at work on the PC. Tonight was no different from any other night.

"Simon, honey," his wife begged, "won't you please go to bed earlier tonight? I don't know if I can bear seeing you so exhausted in the morning!"

This didn't faze Simon. He'd always respond with the same thing every night, "I will, Jeanette. I just have to finish this one thing, then I'll go to sleep."

"You say that every night, Simon," whined Jeanette, "But then you stay up an extra few hours and then wake up looking like you've been playing in traffic!"

Simon continued typing away as if she'd never come into the room. He didn't even look up from his computer. She approached him, coming up from behind him and bending down carefully to hug him around his shoulders.

"Siiiimonnn..." She whispered melodically into his ear, "Earth to Simon... your wife wants to know when you'll be coming to bed..."

Simon stopped typing for a moment, a smile gracing his lips, and looked at his playful wife. She pecked his cheeks a few times, then giggled a little bit.

"My dear Simon! When was the last time you shaved, young man?!"

He chuckled softly, reaching up and touching his five o'clock shadow. He realized in that moment that he actually didn't remember the last time he'd shaved.

"Hmmm," he replied thoughtfully, "Wow. I don't even remember! This is a little embarrassing..."

But shaving wasn't the only thing he'd forgotten about doing recently. He also didn't remember what day of the month it was, which day of the week it was, and he'd even forgotten when he'd last spent quality time with his pregnant wife and his two daughters. It had been a long time since he could recall any of those things: time had gotten away from him, to say the least. It was hard to tell sometimes the last time he'd actually slept in his bed next to his wife instead of falling asleep on his desk, or in the worst cases, face-first on his computer keyboard.

"Well, Dr. Seville," teased Jeanette, "I'll be downstairs in the kitchen when you finally decide to come down and eat a late dinner, okay?" And with that, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and headed for the door, "Oh, and Simon... Please don't forget to say goodnight to the girls, okay? _Please_."

"Alright. Will do." Answered Simon in the midst of thought.

Fifteen minutes passed and Simon peered up at the clock for a time-check: nine fifteen. He carefully stood up from his chair and stretched, bending his back and cracking his shoulders sitting for the entire day. Although it was probably too late, he wanted to say goodnight to the girls and go downstairs to see Jeanette before turning in early. Since tomorrow's plans included two back to back board meetings, a presentation, a lecture to attend, and a staff conference, it really couldn't hurt to get a good night sleep to replenish his senses. Slipping on his loafers, he strolled out of his study and down the hall to a room with a purple door. **ANNA-LYNN'S ROOM**, it read, and it had **ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK** yellow caution tape plastered from the doorknob to the door hinges.

Anna-Lynn, Simon's eldest daughter, resided in her room from three o'clock until dinner every night, experimenting with her junior chemistry set and building sculptures with household items. In her own quirky way, Anna-Lynn was the creative, outgoing one out of the two sisters. Since she'd recently spent a lot of time with her Auntie Eleanor while her father was busy, she learned to be a very confident and resourceful seven year-old. Once, she made a castle out of corks, thumbtacks, and wine bottles that won her 1st place in her school's art show. The next year, she took apart a tractor engine, separating it into scraps and then rebuilt it without practice as a demonstration of mechanical engineering in front of her second grade class for show and tell. It caught the attention of the elementary school's board of directors and in turn gave her eligibility for the gifted students program as well as a few articles and pictures in the newspaper about her.

Besides her craftiness, she also resembled both parents in looks: she had Jeanette's long dark hair, her seaweed green eyes, well defined lips and rosy cheeks, but she also had Simon's nose, cheekbones and jaw shape. She wore large round glasses like her parents do because of the poor eyesight genes that were inevitably genetic. In fact, they'd call the poor eyesight problem "the bespectacled family curse."

Simon carefully cracked the door open and peeked in, careful not to awaken Anna-Lynn if she was asleep. His eyes wandered to her bed, but he didn't see her lying there where she usually was at this time of night. The lights were off and her nightlight which she usually turns on right before snuggling under the covers was lit...but where was she? Simon crept in slowly, trying to get a closer look. Suddenly, Anna-Lynn jumped out from behind the door.

"BOO!" She yelled, causing Simon to jolt backwards in response, "Haha! Got ya!" She cackled. Simon held his heart for a moment, then laughed as well, recovering.

"Oh dear... ya got me!" He breathed out, then re-adjusted his glasses, "But you know... you shouldn't have done that, ya little troublemaker...!" He said ominously. Then without warning, he scooped her up by her stomach and spun her around, tickling her belly and causing her to laugh and flail her arms and legs wildly.

"AHHHHH NO NO NO!" she squealed, laughing wildly, "AHAHA PUT ME DOWN! IT TICKLES, DADDY! IT TICKLES!"

After a few spins, Simon landed her on the bed, then continued tickling her belly as she curled her body into a ball, her eyes squeezed shut in fits of hysterical laughter. He stopped for a moment to let her unwind.

"You see, this is what happens to little troublemakers, Anna-banana! They get TICKLED!"

He tickled her once more, then stopped and gently pulled the comforter of her bed up to her shoulders, beginning to tuck her in. She breathed deeply a few times, recovering from the tickle attack her father had sprung on her, then took off her glasses and placed them on her nightstand.

"Daddy?" She murmured, yawning, "How come you don't come out of your study? Mommy says you're too busy..."

"I am, sweetheart," he replied guiltily, "and I really wish I could come out, but you see... my job is really hard and... they don't hire many people that have the abilities to do what I do."

"Oh..." She said quietly, a hint of disappointment in her voice. She turned on her side, "So...does that mean you won't be able to go to my robotics tournament on Saturday?"

Simon winced. He'd forgotten all about her robotics tournament! Though she'd asked a month previous to it, Simon never actually had time to stop and write it down or to plan his schedule around it. She'd been talking about it for months! If he didn't come, she'd be so disappointed... His heart was breaking just thinking about how hurt she'd be thinking that her father didn't have time for her. Or worse, he feared that she would think his job was more important to him than she was, which couldn't be further from the truth!

"I'll tell you what..." he began, "I give you my word that I will try my absolute hardest to be there for your robotics tournament, alright Anna-banana? I'll try my best."

"Promise?" She urged, "Pinky promise?"

Simon smiled, holding out his pinky, "Pinky promise."

* * *

After he'd successfully put Anna-Lynn to sleep and gave her her goodnight kiss, he crossed the hall to a white door with little blue flowers painted on it. It was Joanie's room. He cracked the door carefully, cautiously stepping in and seeing if Joanie was awake. She was in her bed, rolled onto her side with her thumb in her mouth and her eyes closed. The sheets of her bed were down by her feet as if she'd been thrashing about in her sleep. Without a sound, Simon crept in and took the sheets, gently pulling them over her shoulders. He slowly seated himself in the rocking chair next to her bed, watching her as she slept.

Joanie was the mirror image of Simon in every way - she had his steel grey iris color and eye shape, his chin, his cheekbones, his hair color, his lips, his jaw, and even his ears! The only thing that seemed to remotely resemble her mother was the fact that she was also very clumsy; often times Joanie needed someone to keep her from falling while climbing the stairs!

Much like her parents and sister, Joanie was also brilliant. At age three and a half, Joanie can already read and write ahead of all the other kids in her preschool. In fact, she can also add, subtract, multiply and divide as well like her father could when he was her age. Simon and Jeanette knew she was gifted when they discovered that she could spell six and seven letter words when she was only fifteen months old. However, there was only one small problem: Joanie has never uttered a word.

Although she attends speech therapy twice a week, Joanie simply refuses to speak. The doctors told Jeanette and Simon after she was a year and a half that she was just a late bloomer. They told her that she'd speak within the following year. But after several visits over a three-year time period, Simon and Jeanette have given up trying to find the answers as to why she refuses to speak. According to her teachers at school, she comes to preschool early every day and sits quietly by herself in a secluded corner, away from the other boys and girls in her class, and colors pictures. At home, she plays with her dollhouse and enjoys reading alone on the rocking chair. But she never speaks a word.

It guilted Simon to know that there was absolutely nothing he could do for her, and it was even worse when he thought about how little he gets to be with her because of his busy schedule. He often wondered if her refusal to speak was because he wasn't around her or if there was something physically wrong with her that he wasn't catching on to...or if she disliked him. The idea itself scared him. He felt helpless watching the days go by and not being able to know what's wrong with his baby...

Simon looked at her helplessly, wanting to reach out and hold her while she slept... but he didn't want her to wake up or make her upset. So he continued to sit there as the minutes ticked by, just watching. Her little chest moved up and down as she breathed steadily, her nose whistling a little with each breath. She looked like a little angel. She was so tiny...and so fragile. As he watched her, he felt indebted to her - as if he owed some great apology to the tiny girl for not being there for her. He wanted to see her smile and laugh and play like her older sister had when she was Joanie's age. He wanted to see her make friends and wanted to hear her sing a song. He wanted to love her and take care of her and protect her, as any good father wants his child... but he felt as if maybe, just maybe, her silence was his fault for not being there most of the time. He felt powerless. Confused.

A few more minutes passed by and he lifted himself up from his seat, leaning over her slowly and giving her a kiss on the cheek, petting her head softly. Then he exited the room, guilt beginning to eat away at his conscience.

* * *

When he entered the kitchen downstairs, Jeanette was cleaning the dishes and humming to herself. She had laid a plate of cooked spinach, rice, and noodles on the table for him leftover from dinner, which he missed again. He didn't feel hungry at all; the guilt he felt had stolen away his appetite. What he wanted most was to sleep for a long time. Jeanette turned around as he sat down and smiled brightly, "Why, hello there, Doctor!"

"Hello, Mrs. Seville," he replied tiredly, trying to smile. He poked at his spinach with a fork, his appetite non-existent.

Jeanette could immediately sense something was wrong with her husband when he didn't touch his dinner. She put her hands on her stomach, caressing the baby bump under her shirt as she sat down across from him.

"Simon? Are...are you alright? What's wrong?" She asked delicately, "did something happen?"

"No...," he sighed, "It's nothing, really... I'm just...worried about Joanie..."

"Oh..."

There was moment of silence.

"Well they said that...she might come close to a breakthrough by September," offered Jeanette hopefully, "I mean, she looks up when I say her name nowadays! That's good, right?"

Simon nodded, "Uh-huh..."

More silence.

"Simon. _Please_... tell me what's on your mind? Let me help you?" She pleaded, reaching her hand over the table and intertwining her fingers with his, "_Please_, Simon."

"It's really nothing that can be helped," He responded, returning her helpless gaze, "And besides, you have enough to worry about. You have two kids and a baby due in two months. That's enough stress on you."

"Yes, but..." She shook her head, "you have a much busier schedule than me...a-and you work so _hard-_! I know this can't be easy on you. You never talk to me anymore about what's bothering you, and it in return bothers _me._"

Simon took a deep breath and let it out, "Okay, fair enough," he stared down at his plate of untouched food, "I'm afraid...that I'm not being supportive enough as a father...or as a husband to you, Jeanette."

Jeanette immediately shook her head, "No, Simon! You're just buried up to your eyeballs in work, that's all! You're overwhelmed and going without sleep!"

Simon nodded solemnly, but she knew he didn't agree with her. She moved her chair closer to him and smoothed his cheek with the back of her hand.

"You're a wonderful father, Simon. Believe me, you are... And the best husband I could've asked for. So please don't cut yourself down so much..!"

Simon said nothing. He just stared at the tile patterns on the kitchen floor. Even if his wife reassured him every day that he was being a good father, he still felt that he wasn't. It was in Jeanette's nature to be one-hundred percent supportive all the time. She was the sweetest and most loving, accepting, and kind-hearted person he knew, which is what he loved most about her. But sometimes he felt like she took too much upon herself without realizing it and lets him get away with too much, and that made him feel miserable.

There was more drawn-out silence as he still refused to eat his dinner, toying with it under the points of his fork.

"I'm not hungry tonight. I think I'll save this for later." He pushed his seat away from the table, leaning over and kissing his wife's forehead, "But thank you, Jeanette."

He wrapped his plate of food in saran wrap and stowed it away in the fridge, then turned the corner and ascended up the staircase to finish the remainder of his busy work. Would he get sleep tonight? The answer was most likely no.

* * *

**Okay you guys! I hope you like my first chapter and I hope it didn't bore you too much! :)**

**Reviews are appreciated! Thanks for reading!**

**I'll be updating soon!**

**-Blythe **


	2. Sacrifices

**Hello, Friend-os! First off, I just wanna let y'all know that there is more to this chapter coming up! I'll be posting soon!**

****Warning: This chapter contains some Simonette. (The next chapter will too.) I felt it necessary to warn you all ;)**

* * *

**_Chp 2: Sacrifices_**

The following morning, Simon awakened and opened his eyes to a dark room. Yawning, he put on his glasses and peered up at the clock to check the time: five o'clock am. The sun hadn't even come up yet and he was, unsurprisingly, sitting at his desk. He had fallen asleep there once again after working up to the late hours of night, losing track of time as he usually did. He turned on his reading lamp, blinking a few times as he adjusted to the light and stretched out his back. There were paper strewn all over the desk - under his keyboard, on top of his computer monitor, under the computer mouse - everywhere. Since he was up early, he decided to clean up a bit before getting ready for a long day at work.

He got to work on the cleaning, picking up the paper scraps along the sides of his desk and arranging his files neatly into sections of his filing cabinet. It was never like Simon to be disorganized; he was always a firm believer in a tidy workplace at all times. Growing up, he'd even clean up after his two brothers when they left messes around their room - especially his eldest brother, Alvin. It was difficult to live with Alvin's level of disorganization sometimes.

Shuffling through the remaining bits of paper, he noticed something golden peeking out among the scattered post-it notes in corner of his desk. He moved the post-its aside to see what it was; it was a family portrait taken five months ago of Simon, Jeanette and their two girls sitting under a tree. In the picture, Simon is sitting behind his wife with a pleasant smile and holding his daughter, Anna-Lynn, on his lap. The picture was taken when she'd just turned seven and her smile was missing her two front teeth, but she looked as happy as can be. Next to her was her mother, his wonderful wife Jeanette, holding their two year-old daughter Joanie on her lap who didn't smile, but seemed like she was watching the camera with wide, curious eyes. She was the only one out of the four of them who didn't need glasses, but she still looked very much like Simon anyway.

Lastly, he took a moment to admire Jeanette. He felt a feeling of warmth come over him as he looked at her in the picture; she looked truly happy - she was beaming. Two days before this picture was taken, she'd just found out she was pregnant again with their third child.

Jeanette loved being pregnant - she'd tell him that all the time. As they always say, women who are pregnant seem to glow more than usual - this was definitely true for Jeanette. She never told him exactly why she loved being pregnant so much, but he always enjoyed watching her as she would talk to her unborn baby, petting her swollen stomach and humming softly to it as she relaxed on the living room sofa. There was always a comforting feeling that came over him when he'd watch her - he was so proud of his wife, but he was also completely in awe of how well she took care of herself and her children. Jeanette had unmatched maternal instincts that he never knew she possessed until the day Anna-Lynn was born. Her kind-hearted nature and gentle exterior made anyone who knew her or has ever known her feel safe in her presence, but what was the most amazing part about her to Simon was how loving she was to him even when he didn't deserve it. Her love for him showed no boundaries, even when they were growing up together - which is why he married her; she was his best friend.

In Simon's eyes, marrying Jeanette was the best decision he'd ever made. However, he wasn't sure if it was the best decision for her to have married him.

The two of them had gotten married when they were twenty-one and while Jeanette was in transition to go to Grad School to earn her masters in literature. Since she and Simon were kids, she dreamed of one day becoming a novelist and writing about topics that could bring attention to major world issues. She wanted to start out as a journalist and take internships around the country, then expand her reach and begin to work internationally to collect as much material as she needed to write her novel. Jeanette had big plans for the future. She may have been soft-spoken, but her writing was always powerful and gave her a powerful voice even when she lacked one in person.

When the two decided to get married, it was a mutual feeling - they were very passionate about each other. Simon had graduated from college and had a degree in physics, but he decided to wait until after they married to go to grad school, like Jeanette.

But what they both didn't plan on was Jeanette getting pregnant two months following their wedding.

Jeanette sacrificed going to Grad School and her career in journalism and Simon began to go job hunting in order to support the baby. The two decided to settle into a house and would have to buckle down and prepare to raise their family.

Since Jeanette's choice to sacrifice her career for the children, Simon has felt responsible for dampening her dreams. He always thought that if they'd gotten married a little later, maybe she would've had the chance to travel the world and do what she'd always dreamed of doing instead of having to say goodbye to her future plans. Or perhaps if she would've been better off not being married to him at all, maybe she'd be happier.

Simon dusted off the glass of the picture frame, looking at it once more before placing it back on his (now newly organized) desk. It was so sad to him what a beautiful family he had, yet how little time he had to spend with them - before he knew it, his girls will be all grown up and leaving for college and he'll still be buried up to his neck with work. He shook the thought away, turning off his reading lamp and rising slowly out of his desk chair.

He figured that since he was up, he might as well get ready for the day. Today was going to be a big day - he was finally going to see if he was eligible to apply for a job as a faculty member at the California Institute of Technology.

California Institute of Technology was the place he'd always dreamed of working; in fact, as a teenager, it was his dream to be able to teach engineering and physics as a member of the faculty. He also wanted to be able to establish himself as a chemical engineer which was something he used to do for fun as a kid. Nowadays, all Simon seemed to do all the time was work, work, work. Meeting after meeting, hour upon hour and it made him feel like he was wasting away. The thought of his hectic job made Simon feel sleepy as he prepared himself for the day.

After taking a brief shower, he felt more at ease - the heat had helped slow down his rapid thoughts and allowed him to think about his life without stressing out too much. The challenge would be that he'd have to avoid waking up his sleeping wife as he snuck into his closet for his clothes, which would be a difficult task because Jeanette was a light sleeper.

As he began to get dressed, he looked over at Jeanette and grinned to himself; she was always so peaceful whether she was awake or asleep. She was laying on her side, her hair let let down from its usual messy bun and her hand on her bloated stomach, which was the way she usually slept when she was pregnant. He wanted to go over and lay beside her; he wanted to wrap his arms around her and pull her close, telling her how much he thinks about her and how beautiful she is to him. However, Simon took heed of the fact she was nearing the time of her delivery within the next month and a half and needed her strength, so he prepared for the day alone, as usual.

He stepped through the legs of his pants one by one, then carefully buttoned them and slipped a narrow black leather belt through the belt loops. Jeanette stirred a bit in her sleep, breathing in deeply and causing Simon to freeze. He thought about if he should go into the bathroom to change into his day clothes to avoid waking her up, so he turned around to gather the rest of what he would wear from his closet.

Out of the silent air came a hushed voice, "G'morning, handsome."

Mid-way through putting his dress shirt on, Simon halted his movement and slowly turned around. Jeanette was awake, gazing over in his direction, her eyes still heavy with drowsiness.

Simon smiled guiltily, moving closer to the bed and standing beside it, staring down at her, "Good morning, beautiful."

"I see you're up early this morning," she yawned, putting on her glasses, "won't you lay down with me?"

Simon finished buttoning his shirt and shook his head, "I don't know, babe. I might fall asleep on you if I do..."

"Only for a minute?" she whispered, patting the place next to her for him to lay down. She pouted her lips playfully, "please?"

He smiled at his wife, accepting her invitation and sliding under the covers, "How can I say 'no' to a face like that?"

Jeanette giggled, stretching a little bit and allowing her eyes to adjust to the sunlight that was coming through the windows, "So...what brings you to life this early in the morning, hm? Did you sleep at all last night?"

Simon nodded his head against his pillow, drawing nearer to her, "More than I've gotten than any other day this month," he sighed, "sometimes I feel like there's just not enough time in the world, Jeanette. Do you ever feel that way?"

She smiled, "Of course I do. I feel it every day whenever I see how hard you work. I feel it when I see that you've fallen asleep by your computer screen night after night." She paused, putting a gentle hand to his face, "I worry about you, Simon."

A wave of guilt washed over Simon. He felt remorseful for making her worry, especially when she should be more concerned about herself and the baby or the wellbeing of their children rather than him and his issues.

"Please don't worry about me, Jeanette," he pleaded, taking her hands delicately in his and stroking her fingers, "I'll be just fine. You've got much more to worry about - like the baby."

Jeanette smiled warmly as she thought about their unborn child, taking his hands beneath the covers and pressing them to her swollen belly, "You know...I think he misses you when you're at work. When you come home, I can feel him more than when you're gone."

"'he'?" Replied Simon, his voice trembling as he felt a slight movement, "I-it's a boy?"

Jeanette shrugged her shoulders, "Well, I don't know yet. I won't let the ultrasound technician tell me the gender. I want to keep it a surprise. But...for some reason, I can just feel that it's a boy this time, Simon."

Simon's heart skipped a beat. His hands felt warm against her stomach as he tried to break his speechlessness. Jeanette could feel him conveying a strong emotion, but she didn't know what it was.

"Simon? A-are you okay? You look upset."

Her husband shook his head, drawing his hands away from her belly. He closed his eyes, thinking about when Jeanette told him she was pregnant with their third child. At this moment, he was beginning to feel the same way he did then - he was happy that their family was expanding, but he was also afraid of what this would mean: what if he lost his job? What would they all do without someone to make the family income? What if his kids turn on him when he's too busy to spend time with them? What if Jeanette never gets to achieve her dreams of being a novelist? What then? Will he spend his entire life constantly thinking about how much better her life would've been without him?

"Simon...Simon, honey." murmured Jeanette worriedly, "What's wrong? Is something bothering you? Did I say something?"

"No! Absolutely not," reassured Simon, "I'm sorry...I just...I've been thinking..."

"About what?"

"Well...about the family...and about you."

"What about?"

"Well," Simon cleared his throat, "I just...It's.."

He paused, deciding against telling her about his fears of losing his job, or about what it would be like if they hadn't married. It wasn't something she needed to worry about. Jeanette seemed to be perfectly happy living the life she was living. Why would he need to spoil it for her because of his own anxious thinking?

"It's nothing," he lied, "I've just missed you, that's all."

"Aw, Simon!" chirped Jeanette, moving closer to him and embracing him from under the covers, "I'm not going anywhere! I'm always going to be here when you need me! You know that, don't you?"

Simon returned the embrace, a warm blush spreading over his face, "U-uh huh! It's just...I...I worry about you a lot. I worry about if you're happy with how things are."

"Well you shouldn't lose sleep over it. You lose enough sleep from work as it is. I'm doing just fine, Simon. I'm happier than I've ever been; I have everything I'll ever need right here."

Simon rested his forehead against hers, breathing out a troubled sigh, his body beginning to feel heavy with exhaustion.

"A-are you sure?"

"Of course I am. If there's anyone here who you should worry about, it should be yourself - you work yourself to the bone. What you need is some good old vacation time - some time to unwind," She said calmingly, taking his glasses off, "Let's start with right now. Relax."

Simon did what she said, letting out a deep sigh. He gazed into her deep green eyes and allowed himself to get lost like he always did. Although he felt too shy to admit it, every day he fell more in love with her and those green eyes than the day before.

Jeanette pressed her head gently to his chest, "I love you, Simon Seville. I always have."

Her words made Simon's heart feel like it was melting. He knew he didn't have to worry, but he did because she was just too good to be true; sometimes he thought about how much he didn't deserve her. He smiled, relaxing his muscles and letting his mind relax until he was finally asleep.

* * *

Two hours later, Simon was woken up at 7:00 by his eldest daughter. She took his arm and shook it, causing Simon to awaken from his two hour slumber.

"Daddy, wake up! Mommy says breakfast is almost ready!"

In a state of confusion, Simon sprang up in bed, slipping on his glasses and immediately checked his watch. If he didn't leave right now, he knew he'd be late for work! Every morning at 7am, his route to work was always stifled with traffic and it took over half an hour to get there. That's why he'd always leave the house at 6am to get there early before work started at 7:45. Simon threw off the covers of the bed in panic.

"7:00! I'm gonna be late!"

Without a second thought, Simon raced to the closet and grabbed his shoes, his grey blazer and a blue tie - his usual attire for an average work day - and dashed into his study to pack his files away into his briefcase. From there, he bolted down the stairs and into the kitchen where Jeanette was making breakfast for the girls.

"Look who's awake!" teased Jeanette, "He's alive!"

Joanie watched her father as he frantically ran through each room, tucking it his shirt. He was mumbling to himself, "Okay, I got my briefcase, my blazer, shoes, files... what else am I missing...?"

"You shouldn't leave without eating a decent breakfast, Daddy!" trilled Anna-Lynn, "Otherwise you'll be running on empty all day long!"

"She's right, Simon," agreed Jeanette, "Sit down and relax for a moment. Eat some breakfast!"

"Don't have time. I gotta hit the road," declared Simon, combing his hair neatly to the side and taking a sip of coffee Jeanette prepared for him, "I'll eat later."

Jeanette walked over from the stove where she was cooking and helped Simon with his tie, "that's what you said yesterday! Now, I don't want you to do what you did yesterday - tonight, I'm not letting you work. We're having company for dinner, remember? You didn't forget, did you?"

Simon nearly choked on his coffee, "What?! Who's coming over tonight?!"

"You forgot? Your brothers and my sisters! We'd been planning this for two weeks!"

The ticking of the clock began to get louder and louder for Simon. Jeanette finished tying his tie and Simon immediately sat down and tied his shoes.

"Then that means I might be late... I have meetings up until 7pm!"

"B-but that means you'll miss dinner! Alvin and Theodore will be so disappointed... they've been wanting to see you for weeks now! Brittany and Eleanor have been waiting to see you, too!"

"Some other time, Jeanette! I'm sorry, but I'm simply too busy!"

Simon finished tying his shoes and stood up, looking in the hallway mirror at his reflection and then went back in the kitchen to kiss his wife and kids goodbye.

"I'll try to be back around 7:30, okay?"

"O-okay, Simon. We'll be waiting for you." Said Jeanette, disappointed in her husband's lack of personal time, "Have a good day at work! Drive safely!"

Simon slammed the door shut on his way out. Jeanette sighed, returning to preparing breakfast, "...I love you."

* * *

**Okay guys... There's actually a second part to this chapter than I'll be posting soon which includes a flashback! My doc manager wouldn't let me post it unless I do it on the next chapter, so stay tuned! Ya won't wanna miss it, Simonette fans!**

**-Blythe**


	3. Blossoms for Jeanette

**Hi, friend-os!**

**I'm so sorry for the late update! This is a very important chapter, so I've been spending a whole bunch of time on it!**

**This chapter is my fluffy Simonette chapter! Yay! Took forever to write because, well... I just love them so...**

**I hope you guys like it, cause it honestly took me a while!**

****IMPORTANT: THIS CHAPTER IS A LITTLE SCANDALOUS! There are adult parts, so don't say I didn't warn you!**

**-Blythe**

* * *

**Flashback, September of 1988, Simon and his brothers are 17**

"Hmmm... Do you think she'll like roses or something? O-or maybe I could get her some daisies! No...orchids? She likes orchids, right?"

"Relax, Si!" laughed Alvin, slapping his younger brother heartily on the back, "Jeanette will like anything you give her! She'd even be happy with just a single flower!"

"B-but I can't just get her one flower!" Whined Simon, "What do I do? I don't even know what her favorite flower is!"

Simon was anxious. Prom was tonight and he thought he was totally prepared: he had rented out a navy blue tux, bought some new dress shoes, and even invested some of his saved-up cash into a limo. Jeanette was going to be his date, and since she'd never been asked to a high school dance before, Simon wanted his best friend to feel comfortable. The only thing he was missing was the proper gift to give her for the occasion.

"If you ask me, I think you should stick to the traditional gift." Alvin suggested, spotting a corsage in a flower display case. The corsage was composed elegantly of white and violet blossoms lined with freshly bloomed baby's breath and held together by a purple and blue laced ribbon. Alvin held it in front of Simon, "What about this beauty, hmm?"

"Wow..." replied Simon, taking the corsage from him and examining it closely, "I didn't even know they arranged corsages like this!"

"Well, I guess you learn something new every day! And take it from the Doctor of Love," bragged Alvin, nudging Simon's arm, "the chicks dig it!"

"Alvin," groaned Simon, "I told you. I'm not trying to get Jeanette to fall madly in love with me, I just want to get her something nice for tonight."

"If you insist!" teased Alvin, looking through the selection of flowers for something to get Brittany. Knowing Alvin, he was probably going to go all-out for her by getting her something fancy he couldn't afford. His blue-clad younger brother would probably have to fork over some cash in order to help him match the cost.

After careful consideration of the other flowers and corsages in the display case, Simon decided that this corsage reminded him of Jeanette the most; it was delicately designed and not too flashy, yet its colors represented her - the innocence of the mix of colors light purple, baby blue and white. He began to think about how Jeanette would feel getting this gift from him. He didn't want it to make too much of a statement... After all, none of the boys had fully crossed the boundaries of friendship with the girls yet. The closest to doing so was Alvin and Brittany, but their love/hate nature of their relationship made it so that their feelings for each other were never really set in stone.

Though Simon and Jeanette had been inseparable friends since they were kids, he hadn't really given thought about the fact that the two of them were composed differently - the fact that he was a young man and she was a young woman. This meant that he would have to treat her like a lady tonight... and that wasn't something he thought he could get used to. Jeanette and him talked about everything together despite their biological discrepancies; the whole 'difference of gender' thing hadn't deterred their friendship or really even come to his attention until now. Since they shared the same interests, they never needed to worry about impressing one another.

But tonight everything had to change just a little - Simon would have to show some class for the fall homecoming dance.

"I think this should do! This has all of her favorite colors!" Simon checked the price tag and swallowed hard, "...but it sure costs an arm and a leg...!"

"Oh relax, Simon!" Laughed his red-clad older brother, "Dances like these don't come around often! Besides, Jeanette's never been asked to a high school dance yet, right? You want her first time to be special, don't you?"

Simon nodded. He wanted that more than anything. Jeanette deserved to have a fun first dance.

"Alright, then the answer is simple: get it for her!" Alvin insisted, reaching into his pocket for his wallet to pay for the bold rose corsage he was going to buy Brittany. His hand continued to search for a moment or two before he gave up altogether. No wallet meant no money. "Uh...hehehe...Oh Simon, old buddy? Mind helping me out with something?"

Before Simon knew it, it was already 5:00pm - time to pick up the girls for the fall homecoming dance. Everything was going as it was planned - the limo driver was already parked out front and the boys were dressed to the nines; Alvin had on a red tuxedo that matched the color of his lucky red cap - it had his signature "A" in black patched onto one of the lapels. Beneath it was a golden vest buttoned all the way up and just above it was a black bowtie between the collar ridges of his white dress shirt. He had also bought brand new white and black dress shoes that he spent the entire day polishing. When it came to dress shoes, Alvin always made sure he was sharply dressed - and as always, Alvin's outfit was its usual kind of attention-grabbing and flashy. The only thing that seemed out of the ordinary was that Alvin was wearing his lucky red cap backwards tonight.

Theodore was clad in black tuxedo with a dark, deep emerald green vest beneath it that matched the color of his bowtie, which rested just under his chin. He had normal black dress shoes that he could maneuver himself easily in, despite the fact that they were a half-size larger than his feet. Since Theodore had an unusually shaped body, he'd been to the tailor several times just to be able to move around comfortably in three layers of clothing. It was safe to say that dances weren't Theodore's usual thing. The most frustrating part about dressing up fancy for the dance was that it took him all afternoon to figure out how to tie his own bowtie.

Simon was the most traditionally dressed, as usual. His formal attire included a navy blue bow tie and tuxedo combination that balanced itself out well. (Simon was always insistent on proper color distribution of his presentation.) His coat buttoned slightly over his radiant baby blue vest, which matched the color of his eyes, and his navy shoes had been primped and polished days before. He was most likely the only one of the three who could independently put himself together without assistance - he even ironed his white dress shirt hours prior to getting prepped for the formal. His extensive knowledge on formal etiquette aided him in helping his brother as well as himself.

As the three boys marched up the front steps of the Miller house, Simon nervously adjusted his bowtie. He wanted to make sure everything was absolutely perfect for tonight, taking the comb out of his pocket and doing some last minute finishing touches on his hair, making sure everything was in place before they rang the doorbell.

"Would you relax, Simon?" teased Alvin, "You've been grooming yourself for an hour now! You look fine!"

Theodore smiled up at him, "Aw! Are you nervous, Simon?"

"I'll bet he is! Simon wants to impress his girlfriend with his gentlemanly charm and pizazz!"

"Alvin!" Groaned Simon, immediately putting the comb back in his pocket, his face warm with embarrassment, "for the last time, Jeanette is not my girlfriend! A-and I'm not trying to impress her! This is Jeanette's first high school dance. She's my friend a-and I-"

"And you also have a massive crush on her!"

"I do not!" Simon protested, glaring at his jocular older brother.

"It's okay to admit it, Simon! You can't control who you like!" Theodore chimed in.

"I'd admit it if it was true, which it's not! Jeanette and I are FRIENDS. Now can we drop the subject please?"

The front porch was silent when Simon sternly rang the doorbell. He refused to be a part of their childish conversation. His brothers were just going to have to face the facts that they were wrong; he just wasn't interested in Jeanette in that way. He saw her as his friendly companion and nothing more... But as Simon waited for the door to open, he couldn't help but think about her; what he really thought about her...

It wasn't that Jeanette lacked appeal; in fact, it was quite the contrary. Simon wasn't blind - she was exceedingly good-looking despite her shy personality. However, he chose to ignore the attractive parts about her for their own good; it was wiser to overlook her alluring traits for the sake of maintaining their friendship. He tried to disregard how pretty her lustrous brunette hair looked even when it was tied up unceremoniously in a messy bun, or how cute she looked while she was doing math in her head, looking up at the ceiling and chewing on her lower lip in the midst of calculating. He was willing to ignore the way he felt seeing the attractive shade of powder pink her face turned when she was embarrassed, or the pale glow of her porcelain skin in the sunlight and the way her delicate voice and laughter had a way of making him secretly crazy about her.

The two of them could hit it off remarkably well and would make a terrific couple, but she was his best friend! How could he think of her in a romantic way? Their compatibility may have been perfectly matched, but Simon wanted to take no part in moving their relationship to an uncomfortable level. He just wasn't ready for it; and she most likely wasn't either. He had no intention to ruin a perfectly good friendship over something silly like attraction, romance, admiration...and especially hormones...

Hormones were a big part of the reason Simon felt it necessary to keep his distance from Jeanette.

Like any teenaged boy, Simon struggled with the incriminating thoughts that ran through his mind when he'd catch himself staring at her. It was something that was not in his usual coy nature, yet he found that he just couldn't help himself. Sometimes when they were together, he'd be looking at her body instead of hearing what it was she was saying to him; his eyes would just wander over every pleasurable curve of her figure, causing him to completely lose his grip on reality. He'd look from one of her feminine features to another, each one causing his mind to flood with desirable fantasies that he'd never had before he hit the first stages of puberty: his taboo phantasms of sharing sexual intimacy with her.

As expected, things had changed exponentially since they were ten year-olds. Jeanette was no longer a little girl; she was growing into a woman - a woman with physically defined female characteristics. On the other hand, while Simon was growing up, his physical appearance was changing as much as any other teenaged boy's would at seventeen. Evolving from a boy to a man meant a lot of drastic changes, and with these changes came instinctual urges that were beginning to complicate the way he thought of girls...and especially Jeanette. Now he began to notice the way she dressed: about the shortness of her skirts, about the way her shirts and blouses accentuated her small waistline, about the exposure of her legs...about the size of her breasts...

He often disgusted himself with how frequently he fantasized about her and tried avoiding these risqúe reveries at all costs. His usual strategy of dodging dirty thoughts was by refraining from looking at her for too long. This didn't always work, but by attempting to discipline his eyes, he felt like he was at least trying to keep himself from undressing her in his mind.

Simon cleared his throat, wiping away his unclean musings and anxiously waited for at least one of the Miller women to open the door. Alvin was suspicious of what Simon was thinking about after they'd just mentioned Jeanette. Simon always had that bashful expression on his face whenever he was thinking of adult things. And those thoughts most likely weren't a far shot away from the scandalous fantasies Alvin had of Brittany from time to time; the red clad chipmunk may have been dense in an academic standpoint, but he could easily tell when someone was caught in a naughty daydream.

Simon's face felt hot with disconcertion when he felt Alvin's eyes watching him, "What are you looking at?" he sneered defensively, adjusting his own bow tie.

"Ah just admit it, Si. You can say it.." He moved closer to Simon, nudging him with his elbow.

"Admit what? There's nothing to admit! I told you - Jeanette and I don't want that kind of thing!"

"Nah, you can't fool me. I know exactly what you want."

"Yeah? And what's that?"

"If I'm not mistaken, I'd say you wanna spend a little _horizontal_ time with Jeanette, if ya know what I mean!"

The hair on Simon's neck stood up.

"Why _you-_!

He reached over to Alvin to grab him by the shirt collar, but just as he did, the door to the Miller residence swung open, revealing Miss Miller in the doorway. Simon's attention snapped back to the door and the two both stood up straight.

"Good evening, boys!" greeted the batty old woman, "Why, y'all look like a couple of handsome little butlers! What are you three all so dressed up for?"

"The Autumn Homecoming dance, Mrs. Miller!" Replied Theodore innocently, "Are the girls ready yet?"

Mrs. Miller looked perplexed, "ready for what?"

"Coming, boys!" shouted a voice from within the house. It sounded like Brittany's voice.

"You can come on in!" yelled a different voice, Eleanor's.

The boys were allowed into the house and patiently waited on the couch in the living room for the arrival of their dates. Simon put the corsage on the side table while he waited.

Brittany came down first, sporting her vibrant red strapless evening gown and white fabric sleeved gloves that extended from her elbow to her fingertips. The back of her dress dipped low and held a large fabric bow at the base of the hem and the slit of her dress ran from her feet to her left hip with laced hemlines. Her makeup was carefully applied, giving her dark, lengthy eyelashes a bold contrast that brought out the cerulean tone of her irises and her shoulder hair was curled radiantly and full of volume. Her lipstick was as red as her dress and she'd drawn a beauty mark just under her right eye, adding glamour to her look. She looked like a princess, to say the least.

Alvin stood up from his seat, watching her elegant entrance as she descended down the stairs.

"Wow," he said, taking in her beauty, "well aren't you a sight for sore eyes!"

"How do I look?" She asked, batting her prominent eyelashes. Knowing Brittany, she already knew she was a drop-dead goddess; she had a perfect hourglass figure, immaculate clear skin, stunning eyes, pouty supermodel lips, and hair that looked perfect at all times. She knew of her unmatched good-looks, but she always preferred it if Alvin reminded her of it more than anyone else.

"Not bad," he replied, still examining every part of her as he tied her expensive rose corsage gently around her wrist. Of course, what Alvin really meant by "not bad" was a word synonymous with "gorgeous" or "amazing." He shied away from such adjectives because his pride commonly overcame him. In other words, he was always too much of a macho-man to tell Brittany how much he admires her. In reality, she was his innermost infatuation; the centerfold of his erotic desires.

As the eldest pair prepared to leave, Theodore's date glided down the stairs. Eleanor's attire was different from Brittany's - it was far more modest. Eleanor didn't have the perfect features that Brittany was blessed with, but she made up for it with her spirit and personality; and the dress she was wearing showed that. She wore a flowy emerald satin dress with a sweetheart neckline that overlapped her canary yellow petticoat. The green of her patton doll shoes matched the rich satin color of the ribbon that tied into a bow around her waist, giving her body shape along with the dauntlessness of colors. Around her neck, she wore a handcrafted yellow and green blown-glass bead necklace that matched her studded earrings, which were hidden by her carefully straightened golden locks. Tonight, she'd chosen to let her hair down - something Eleanor seldom showed - it made her look classy and more mature than she looked with her hair in her usual pigtails. Theodore was immediately bewitched.

"You look a-amazing, E-ellie!" Stuttered the youngest chipmunk staring down bashfully at his feet. It was no secret to anyone how long Theodore had been harboring romantic feelings for his best friend and counterpart; it probably wasn't even a secret to Eleanor herself. His feelings for her had grown since they were kids and it became harder and harder for him to keep his attraction to her to himself. But tonight, he could finally tell her how beautiful she was without revealing he had feelings for her that would defy their friendship.

"Thank you, Teddy." She replied, equally as bashful as Theodore. He presented her with a lovely yellow daffodil corsage and slipped in carefully onto her delicate wrist.

"O-oh Theodore! It's lovely!" she squeaked before leaning over and pecking him on the cheek. Theodore's face colored a deep pink. Watching the two of them show romantic interest in each other was as adorable as watching two kittens snuggle together - it was hard to look away and think of anything other than "awww."

As the two pairs went out to their limo, Simon remained inside for his date. As time dragged on, he began to get anxious, wondering if Jeanette was okay or if she'd changed her mind about going. He glanced down at his watch; it was already ten minutes past schedule. Jeanette was certainly taking her time...

"Jeanette?" Simon called out for her, "Are you up there?"

No answer.

After a few more minutes of standing by, Simon decided that it might be a better idea to wait with the others in the limo. Perhaps she would feel more comfortable coming out by herself rather than with an escort.

Carefully rising from the couch, he made his way to the front door from which he came in. When he reached for the handle, there was suddenly a loud crash coming from behind him. It was the sound of someone tumbling down the stairs followed by a soft moan.

_"Oh...!"_

Simon whipped around, directing his attention to the sound of the clamor. Someone had fallen down the steps. He immediately assisted her, pulling her carefully to her feet, but he couldn't immediately recognize who it was. Before him was a young woman, clad in a lavender evening gown with sleeves that draped over her shoulders. Her figure was dainty and feminine, but she had a bold presence. The stitchings of her dress had crossed fabric that accented the curves of her hips and the slit of her dress ran from her ankles to her thighs. As she looked up, Simon was entranced by the deep green shade of her eyes and how perfectly her periwinkle eyeshadow brought out the color in her dress. Her lips were touched up with a natural shade of casual mauve, making her teeth appear pearly white and her eyelashes seem to extend. Her brunette hair was completely straightened down to the very last strand without a single hair out of place; even her bangs were disciplined.

Surely this wasn't who he thought it was; she had no glasses! So...who was this exquisite creature?

"Whoops!" She laughed nervously, a familiar shade of powder pink coloring her cheeks as she tried adjusting her silver Mary Jane one-inch heels, "I-i guess I'm not used to these heels!"

It took Simon a moment after she'd spoken to recognize her. Could it possibly be...?

"...J-jeanette?"

She looked back up at him, smiling charmingly, "yes?"

Simon was completely aghast. He couldn't believe what he was seeing! This magnificent being was none other than his best friend - his childhood buddy, Jeanette! He'd never seen her without her glasses throughout the years they'd known each other; and he'd never seen her look so...divine!

The chipmunk began to feel dizzied as he stared at her. She was beautiful...and he was speechless.

"...Simon? Are you okay?" She asked worriedly, standing up and looking into his eyes carefully, "You look feverish..."

He nodded quickly, still trying to find the right words to tell her.

"Uh...! You look...um...really..."

"Yes, Simon?"

"Uh...really...amazing-...ly...different!" He said finally, relieved to have finally gotten a sentence out.

"O-oh! I-is different good? I-i let Eleanor do my hair tonight...a-and Brittany had taken me to get these new things called 'contact lenses' s-so that I don't need my glasses!"

"Uh...you...they...look very...good!" He replied, at a complete loss for words.

"So do you! You look quite spiffy yourself, Simon!" She complimented, biting her lip a little, feeling suddenly self-conscious. Simon was weak in the knees; he loved when she said his name.. And he especially loved that nervous tick she had when she'd bite her lip.

"Thanks...um...thank you for...I mean-!" he babbled. It sounded almost as if he was in a foreign country trying to speak a complicated language to a native who lives there. He felt like all the consonants and vowels were jumbled in his head; like a word puzzle for his tongue. His blood pressure was at its highest it's ever been around a girl. She was like a perfect doll that he wanted to hold and touch... And she was now crossing the boundaries of what he desired from her.

"Shall we go?" Asked Jeanette shyly after a moment of silence, her clutch purse in hand. Simon cleared his throat, suddenly feeling really out of place and underdressed in her presence.

"Um-...uh, yeah! The limo i-is waiting out front!"

* * *

The three pairs entered the crowded greeting hall of the Bella Luna, the venue where the homecoming dance was scheduled to be. It was a resplendent place made for special events like weddings and formals, decorated from wall to wall with fanciful draperies and velvet portieres for the windows, and the dance floor in the center of the banquet hall was newly polished for the occasion. The ceiling was supported by italian arches which were neatly fashioned with authentic Dutchman's pipe, and the white clothed buffet tables were near the windows on the far side of the room, which overlooked the seaside balcony. Jeanette was ecstatic.

"Oh, Simon!" She gasped, "Look at this place! It's so..._lovely!_"

She took his hand, pulling him toward the other side of the room to get a closer look at the view of the shoreline. If there was anything Jeanette loved in this world, it was a sunset by the sea. The sky was illuminated with a bright contrast of watercolor pinks and oranges that settled under the distended clouds that drifted lazily toward the retiring sun.

Simon paid no attention to the glory of the evening sky. He was too busy gazing at something far more beautiful - his purple-clad counterpart. His pulse was escalating by the second as he felt the sensation of her hand in his - it was exhilarating and he didn't want to let go. What was wrong with him? Was he contracting some kind of illness?

Taking a look around the room, Simon watched his brothers and their dates on the floor, each chipette with her arms around their chipmunk partner among the crowd of their dancing classmates. They looked so serene, so contented; not jumping out of their skins like Simon seemed to be. He wanted to pull Jeanette close and dance with her like they were with their dates.

"U-uh... Jeanette?" he said, pulling her attention away from the window, "Do you...um...maybe want to dance...with me?"

Fifteen minutes had passed on the dancefloor and the music as calm and tranquil as can be, adding a lovely touch of romance to the atmosphere. Occasionally, Simon and Jeanette conversed with their fellow classmates and they'd tell Jeanette how much prettier she looked without her glasses and how funny Simon looked in a tux, but the two enjoyed each other's company the most, slow-dancing the night away. All was right with the world; nothing could go wrong for him tonight. His heart had finally stopped pounding and his arms were wrapped comfortably around her waist, keeping a safe distance, yet still satisfyingly close to her. She had her arms on his shoulders, peering softly into his eyes through the dimmed lights.

Simon couldn't believe how different she looked - it was as if she'd undergone a complete transformation. The most peculiar part about it was that she seem so uncomfortable with it. He wondered why anyone would feel uncomfortable when they looked the way she did; she was positively ravishing!

She began to blink strangely, followed by a stifled gasp, _"Ah!"_

"Jeanette? A-are you okay?"

"Well, y-yes...i-it's just these new contact lens things! They're beginning to burn my eyes a little," She looked back to him, leaning a little closer to his face, "Do you see either of them out of place?"

Simon inspected her eyes carefully, then shook his head.

"No. Maybe your eyes are dry. You should take them out-"

"No, no..." she interrupted subtly, "I-i can live with it!"

"Are you sure?" asked Simon, a bit concerned with her odd behavior.

"Yes! I'm okay." She insisted. The two continued to dance under the glowing lights of the dance floor.

As the night rolled along, Simon began to think about how different things were going to be from now on between them. He wasn't sure if things would go back to normal or if he would continue to feel strange sensations around her and long for something more; something intimate. He'd been secretly hiding these feelings of attraction for Jeanette since they were kids and they'd grown over time, but now he felt like he was tearing at the seams knowing that if he didn't say anything to her about it, that's where he'd stay: in the friend zone. Jeanette was getting older, prettier and more interesting by the day. Before he knew it, she could catch the eye of someone far more attractive than him and he'd have to sit back and watch as they stole her heart. Simon was crestfallen at the thought of that happening - he didn't want anyone to steal her heart. No one but him.

Jeanette began to relax as the beat of the music slowed. She drew nearer to him, holding him closer in her arms and resting her head gently against his shoulder. Simon's heart felt like it was going to leap out of his chest at any second.

"Are you alright, Simon?" asked Jeanette, "your heart's beating really fast!"

"U-uh huh! Couldn't be better!" he assured her anxiously, "I-it's probably just my sodium intake that's causing it to sound that way!"

"O-oh. Okay!"

Simon wrapped his arms around her slender figure, pulling her a little closer. His whole body felt like an overheated furnace. She fit so perfectly in his arms - it was like she was meant to be there; like the last missing piece to a jigsaw puzzle had just been found. He could hardly take this feeling of impatience anymore - he needed to say something to her about these feelings that were beginning to overflow. He felt that at any moment, she could disappear if he didn't come clean about what he was harboring; the feelings of wanting to be above what regular friends were and wanting to defy the boundaries of the relationship.

...the feelings of wanting her.

"Um, Jeanette?" Began Simon, trying his best not to sound as nervous as he felt, "I-i have to tell you something..."

"Yes, Simon?" She answered sweetly, "What is it?"

"Well...I-it's just... We've been friends for a while and I...and we've enjoyed each other's company for as long as I can remember," he said slowly. Jeanette lifted her head from his shoulder and watched his eyes intently.

"Uh huh?"

"A-and I...I was just thinking that... I mean, I've been feeling something d-...different these days between us and...and..."

"And...?"

"And I think that...we...we should be more than-"

Right then, the two began to feel rain pouring from the ceiling! At first, it came as a light shower, but then a few sirens began to sound as the rain showered down harder, soaking everyone in the hall of the Bella Luna. Girls were screaming and desperately trying to protect their hair while the boys took their dates to the crowded front entrance where everyone was pouring out into the parking lot. Without a second thought, Simon took Jeanette's hand and led her the opposite way to the back exit, which was located near the back parking lot where the limo was parked. Once they got outside, he turned to Jeanette.

"What just happened?!" He asked, a little bewildered.

"I'm...not sure!" She replied, also in a slight fog of confusion. The two were silent for a moment. The cool breeze of the night air nipped at Jeanette's exposed skin and she began to shiver. Simon carefully took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.

"Oh, Simon...! You don't have to-"

"No, i-it's okay. I don't need it," he insisted gently, smiling down at her, "We should probably go find the limo... I imagine that the other four will want to go home after this..."

As the two walked through the parking lot, there was silence between them that was only filled by the sounds of fire truck sirens and first-responding emergency vehicles. They both searched for their siblings, but none of them seemed to be anywhere. They searched the crowd for a good ten minutes, but it was no use - they'd probably already gone to the limo.

After a while, cars began to start up and party-goers were driving out of the parking lot only to be stopped by the oncoming police cars. The thick stench of smoke could be smelled from a mile away, which could only mean that something in the building had caught fire while the dance was going on.

_What excellent timing,_ thought Simon sarcastically. Of all the times for a fire to occur, why did it have to be during the time when he was confessing his feelings for Jeanette? Of all places, of all nights, it had to be this particular one. Now he'd have to find the right time to try it again! After all of that preparation and careful consideration of tonight's planning; after all that money he spent and all the trouble he went through, it was nothing but a waste.

"Simon?" said a gentle voice, breaking the angry rant going on in his head.

"Yes?"

"I...I had a wonderful evening... e-even though the building caught on fire, I had a lovely time dancing with you! And I really appreciate all the planning that went into tonight...!"

With those simple words, Simon forgot all about how the night had turned into a disaster. Those thoughts were replaced with thoughts of how much fun he'd had dancing with her and how beautiful she was tonight. Nothing else mattered anymore.

"O-oh. Well that's good, then! I'm glad you had a good time."

He stared down at his delicate counterpart, who was dabbing away the makeup that was ruined by the indoor rainstorm. It didn't make a difference whether she wore makeup or not - she was already pretty. Yes, it made her look different, but she didn't need it to make herself look more attractive. He began to smile as she wiped away the beauty products; they obviously weren't what Jeanette was used to wearing on her face. The only things she wore on her face was her glasses, which were missing tonight.

She began to blink strangely again, cringing.

"Ow...!"

"Jeanette, you should take those out if they're hurting your eyes-"

"No, they aren't! I-i've just got to get used to them, that's all!"

"And you're sure about that?" asked Simon suspiciously. Jeanette nodded.

"Mhm!"

The two finally approached the limo, which was located in the south end of the parking lot. They were relieved! After tonight's events, it was good knowing that they wouldn't have to walk home after an evening of being on their feet. Besides, Jeanette's feet were beginning to ache from her heeled shoes.

But before Simon opened the door, he noticed an odd noise coming from within the vehicle, causing his hand to cease before reaching the door handle.

"Do you hear that?" Asked Simon.

The strange noises continued from inside and he noticed that the limo was also rocking a little.

"What's going on in there?" Asked Jeanette, standing hesitantly behind Simon. The noises persisted, and as the two listened, they both noticed the familiarity of the sounds. One of them was a female's voice. The voice was panting, accompanied by a different voice - the other was lower ranged than the female's voice and making a muffled, grunting sound. Suddenly, the confused pair heard one of them speak from within.

_"Oh, Alvin!"_ Moaned the female's voice.

Jeanette's face turned a deep pink, realizing who it was - it was none other than her reckless older sister, Brittany. Simon's face was also a particularly dark color as he heard his older brother's name uttered from inside the limo. This could only mean trouble. Simon wasn't surprised - he knew exactly what they were doing in there. Alvin had always been a skirt-chaser...

...and especially when it came to brittany.

Simon just hoped they were being careful with whatever activity they happened to be engaging in with each other.

There was awkward silence again.

"...Eh...so...do you wanna walk, maybe?" suggested Simon quietly.

"Yes! That sounds like a great idea!" agreed a very flustered Jeanette.

They backed away from the vehicle, deciding against interrupting whatever was happening inside of it, and exited the parking lot. The two walked side-by-side on the sidewalk instead, which wouldn't be so bad. Their neighborhood wasn't too far from here by foot.

Simon cleared his throat, trying to alleviate the awkwardness that hung heavily in the air after that little incidence. They walked in silence under the glow of the streetlights, each of them wondering what to say to the other. What could be said after the things they'd witnessed? It seemed easier just to not acknowledge the events that took place that night.

The two rounded the corner of the street parallel to theirs and Jeanette stopped in front of one of the houses, looking at it thoughtfully. It was the house at corner point of Spring Street and Cherry Street - the old abandoned victorian-style house that hadn't been lived in for thirty years.

"What is it, Jeanette?" asked Simon, looking curiously at his chipette counterpart.

"See this house, Simon?"

"Uh huh. What about it?"

"I'm going to live here someday." She said, leaning against the brick border that lined the front of the property, looking at the mysterious house with a sense of wonder, "when I get too tired of traveling, I'm going to buy this house and settle down here. I'll get married and have a few kids and we'll build little tree houses in those trees in the backyard. I'll plant some gardenias and petunias in little flowerbeds in the front over there." She pointed to a spot next to the front porch under the eastern window of the first floor, "and then a little cherry tree next to the driveway over there..."

"Looks like you've got it all planned out!" Said Simon, leaning against the brick wall next to her. He listened as she continued to talk about the renovations she'd make on the property and the things she planned to do with the garden. He couldn't help but think about wanting to be there when she buys the house and does the things she aspires to do with it; he wanted to watch her build a treehouse and help her with her garden. He even wanted to be there when she gets married, no matter who the lucky guy marrying her would be. The sad part was, he wanted to be there with her like he's always was and it dawned on him how much he would miss her when she left. The two would graduate high school by the end of the school year and would then go their separate ways - Jeanette was going to Columbia University in New York, which was on the other side of the country. It might as well have been the other side of the world! Simon would be going to Stanford University and would be on his way to achieving his dreams of being a research physicist. The two of them would be on their ways to bright futures...which didn't involve each other.

The silence returned between the two as Simon came out of his cloud of thought. This was it. After this year, Jeanette and him would no longer be in each other's lives. Who knows? Maybe he'd never see her again. His heart ached at the thought of her permanent absence; it would mean there would be no more walks like these, no more after school homework sessions, nobody to walk to school with or have anything in common with...

No one who could make him happy like she did.

Simon decided that if he had something to tell Jeanette, it had to be now. He needed to get these bolstered feelings off of his chest before his cowardice got the best of him. The blue-clad chipmunk opened his mouth - he was about to blurt out what had been building up within him the entire night when suddenly, Jeanette gasped, dropping her hand-held purse on the sidewalk and holding her hands over her eyes.

"Ooh, I hate these contact lenses!" she whimpered, blinking oddly once again. Her bloodshot eyes began forming tears that dampened her lower lashes before dripping down her cheeks.

Simon bent down and picked up her purse for her, "you should really take those out, Jeanette! You could be allergic to the-" He stopped as he saw something peeking out from under the flap of her clutch purse - it was the edge of one of the frames on her glasses. He gently took her glasses out of the purse and held them up to the light.

"Jeanette...why aren't you wearing these? What's wrong with wearing your usual glasses?"

The expression on Jeanette's face looked as if she felt ashamed of herself; like she'd committed some kind of forbidden act. She stared at her feet, her cheeks turning their usual shade of embarrassed powder-pink.

"Because...I... I wanted to look my best tonight, that's all," she admitted, pushing a strand of her straightened chestnut brown hair behind her ear, "Brittany said it would give me a little more confidence a-and I'd look prettier."

Once again, Simon was at a loss for words. Jeanette continued shyly.

"I just wanted...to look beautiful. Just for tonight. Just for the dance, okay? That's why. I just wish I didn't need my glasses so much! They swallow up my face!"

Simon couldn't believe he was hearing this. Jeanette didn't already think she was beautiful? How could this be? He took one last look at her glasses, then lifted them to her face and placed them gently over her ears, smiling.

"Jeanette," started Simon, "you're...you're already beautiful. You don't need loads of makeup or contact lenses to make yourself more appealing."

The lavendar-clad chipette immediately looked up from the ground, "...r-really?"

"Of course. I..." he paused for a moment, building up the strength for what he was about to say to her, "I have always thought that about you, I-i just never told you because..."

He took a deep breath.

"Because I'm...I feel something for you, Jeanette. I can't really explain it, b-but I... every time I look at you, I feel like I want to be with you...i-in a way that's more than friends. And when we aren't around each other, I can't stop thinking a-about you a-and I...I...think I...want...I want..."

Simon had crossed the borderline between normal speaking capabilities to downright babbling - what he was giving her was word soup. He felt like his body was going to collapse; like he was an overworked machine that was on the brink of malfunctioning. He stumbled over his words as if he'd never spoken them before. Stopping for a moment, he tried his hardest to tame his unruly tongue.

"I-i want..."

"You want what, Simon?" Asked Jeanette sweetly, stepping towards him.

Simon gazed into her eyes, concentrating on the lovely green orbs that were her irises. Simon knew exactly what he wanted as he looked over his best friend's face in the street lights. She was perfect, glasses and all. He couldn't think of wanting anything more than what he saw right in front of him.

He slowly took her face in his hands and leaned into her, pressing his lips to hers softly and sweetly. Jeanette was taken by surprise, but she closed her eyes, allowing their lips to meet for the first time. As their lips separated from each other, Simon murmured in her ear:

"I want you, Jeanette Miller. I always have."

He waited for her response, trying to read the demure expression on her face. Jeanette paused for a moment, opening her eyes very slowly and Simon began to worry if what he'd just done was too fast; he wondered if he should've approached his confessions a little more sensitively than just diving right in. He opened his mouth to apologize for making such a bold move when suddenly, she leaned into him and returned the kiss again and again. Pleasantly surprised, he welcomed this action, moving his hands from the back of her neck to her waist, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. She moved her arms over his shoulders and tied them around his neck, pulling him closer. When they finally separated again, Jeanette was smiling ear-to-ear.

"Oh Simon," she sighed happily, gazing back into his eyes, "Don't you know how long I've wanted you to say that to me?"

Simon's stomach was doing flips! His blood pressure was at it's highest point - was this really happening? Did she really feel the same this whole time? Had they both been withholding their feelings from each other?

"R-really?" replied Simon breathlessly, "You...you mean, you've... I mean, you've felt the same way..?"

At first, Jeanette looked shy, remaining silent. Then after a moment or two passed, she nodded meekly, "well...y-yes."

Simon felt like he was walking on air - the girl he'd loved for so long was standing before him, telling him she felt the same for him as he did for her. His best friend and most trusted companion was admitting that she shared feelings that he thought she'd never have for him. Now that everything was out of the way, Simon wasn't sure what to do next! Should he ask her on a date? Should he ask her to be his girlfriend? There were so many things he could think about saying to her now that there was no elephant in the room.

For now, Simon decided that after everything that happened that night, it wasn't wise to rush into everything right away. The two of them would take things as they come. Sure, they could be more than friends, but that decision didn't have to be made tonight. He could already tell that they were on the brink of something good - something that shouldn't be rushed at any cost.

Simon held out his hand, "May I walk you home, Jeanette?"

She gave him her hand, "of course."

The pair walked home together silently, hand in hand under the night's tranquil canvas of stars.

* * *

When Jeanette walked through the front door of her house, she took off her shoes. Goodness knows the number of blisters she was bound to get from the things. That was why she never bothered to wear nice shoes in the first place! However, her mind wasn't focused on that right now. All she could think about was Simon. Had tonight really been as amazing as it seemed? Was she dreaming?

She was promptly greeted by her foster mother, who'd been washing dishes in the kitchen. Her hands were still coated with dish soap.

"Oh hello, dear! You're home early!" Chirped Miss Miller.

Jeanette took a moment for her mind to settle down in order to answer her step mother. What she really wanted right now was to tell Eleanor what'd just happened!

"Yeah, there was a little bit of an accident at the Bella Luna...long story. Is Eleanor home?"

"Yes dear! She's right upstairs! She got home a few minutes before you did!" chirped Miss Miller before disappearing back into the kitchen. Good old Miss Miller. She never questioned things - she always just went on her merry way.

Jeanette ascended the stairs, but stopped at the sight of something sitting on the side table next to the couch in the living room. She approached it and picked it up; it was a small purple box with a laced blue bow neatly wrapped around it.

It read:

**'FROM: SIMON**

**TO: JEANETTE'**

She untied the ribbon and pushed the lid off the box, revealing the most beautiful corsage arrangement Jeanette had ever seen - white and violet blossoms and fresh baby's breath fashioned together with purple and violet lace. Jeanette's heart fluttered; had Simon meant to give this to her tonight but forgotten?

She sat on the couch, slipping the corsage onto her wrist, her mind filling with the recent memories of the past few hours. What a wonderful night!

And what a wonderful gift!

"Oh Simon...!" She whispered to herself, marvelling at the delicate gathering of flowers, "How did you know that violet blossoms are my favorite flowers?"

* * *

**Thanks for reading, you guys! This chapter was a bit fluffy, I know! Simonette is just too cute though!**

**I'll hopefully be updating soon! School's back in, so I've been busy as a bee!**

**Reviews are helpful and extremely appreciated! Thank you!**

**-Blythe**


	4. Just fine

"Hmm... twenty-four minute cooling time... and... at 450 degrees, that gives the lemon meringue... twenty minutes to bake before they show up for supper."

It was six o'clock in California; the time of day when corporate workers began to retire and return home for dinner before sundown. It was the perfect, most temperate time of day - one that Jeanette enjoyed most while cooking. It gave her time between meal preparations to take a short break and look out the window, absorbing the array of celestial colors layered among the evening clouds. It was serene...and she was sure that no one knew what it meant to her to have such a lovely view of the sky. Being as close to Los Angeles as the house was, many would agree that having a view of the city was far more soothing than just any common countryside view. But Jeanette preferred to just watch the sky instead. It was her release.

The soon-to-be mother of three rested her hands on her swollen belly, a slight smile causing the corners of her lips to curve upward in contentment. Time was at a comfortable speed for her - peace, quiet, and a blissful collage of colors just outside of her windows. There was only one thing missing for her - Simon, her husband.

"When you come into this world, I hope this is the first thing you remember," she murmured to her child-to-be. She leaned against the window frame, staring dreamily at the six o'clock sky. What could be better than this moment of stillness?

"MOMMMM!"  
_Good grief,_ thought Jeanette. Another exagerrated whine sounded from the upstairs quarters, "MOMMMM!"

"Yes, Anna-Lynn?" replied Jeanette, being pulled out of her realm of tranquility, "what is it?"

"Joanie's stealing my stuff again!" complained Anna-Lynn, "And she's not giving it back!"

Jeanette heaved a sigh; sometimes being a mom was exhausting. You know what they say about how being a parent is one of the toughest jobs out there? Well, it's the truth. The Seville girls may have been well-behaved and obedient for the most part, but it rarely lasted once they crossed the threshold of the house. Kids wil be kids. Girls will be girls...and so on and so forth. When was there time, even so much as a minute when 'alone time' could just be _'alone time?'_  
Hobbling gradually and carefully up the stairs, Jeanette journeyed to the source of the problem - Anna Lynn's room. Being seven and a half months pregnant, the retired chipette was used to taking just over three or so minutes to get up the flight of stairs. This was a frequent occurance in the Seville house; Anna-Lynn was never a happy customer when it came to sharing, and Joanie, though she's never said a word, was the infamous thief of the household. Neither Simon nor Jeanette knew where those traits came from; it certainly weren't traits they possessed. Often times they joked about it over coffee, blaming Anna-Lynn's selfishness on their Auntie Brittany and Joanie's mischeivous stealing on their Uncle Alvin.  
Climbing the last step of the staircase, Jeanette peeked around the corner to find Joanie sitting flat against the wall, toying with some kind of small, silver and black contraption.

"Mom, Joanie stole my hydraulic adjuster!" blamed Anna-Lynn, pointing an accusing finger at the toddler, "and last week, several of my crankshaft sprockets were missing, and when I found them, they were in Joanie's room! And when I try to hide the pieces of my model engine somewhere else, she always finds them!"

How surprising - Simon's daughter was complaining about the obnoxiousness of her sibling. Sounds familiar.

"Well, have you been keeping your engine parts locked up in a safe place, Anna-Lynn?"

"Of course! B-but she keeps getting into them somehow! It's like she can pick locks or something!"

Jeanette combed a bewildered hand through her hair, trying to maintain a calm tone of voice, "oh please. Don't be silly! Joanie can't pick locks. She's only three!"

The young mechanic scoffed, "So? When I was three, I constructed the model of my first tricycle!"

"Yes, but it didn't work..."

Anna-Lynn looked away, embarrassed; being the proud little inventer she was, she hated admitting to the flaws of her unsuccessful inventions. Age never mattered to the seven year-old; a failed creation was a failed creation, no questions asked. Such opinions matched those of her father's when he was a young inventor himself.

"Y-yeah...b-but that was because it...it was just a three-dimensional ...prototype..." she defended weakly.

The mother fought off a smile, trying not to make nonsense of her daughter's defense. For a seven year-old, the girl was quite the prideful one - just like her dad.

Jeanette then glanced down at her younger daughter, who toyed carelessless with the simple mechanism on the floor. Slowly, she squatted down to meet the toddler's eyes.

"Joanie? Joanie, can mommy see that for a moment please?"

Joanie clutched her toy for a moment longer, looking over it once more before plopping it into her mother's unfolded hand. She then proceeded to play with the tassels of the hallway carpet, picking at lint that gathered near the wall.

Jeanette examined the toy carefully for anything that might be considered hazardous to the three year-old. The object was oddly shaped; cylendrical and narrow, but with several compartments composed of titanium and steel. It must've been about four or five pounds and the weighted top was tightly screwed into the body, meticulously constructed from someone with plenty of knowledge on mechanics. Each appendage was connected with a grade 5 A325 cap screw and secured by a ⅜" machine screw hex nut, an elegant signature by none other than her eldest daughter.

"Wow," remarked Jeanette, turning the hydraulic adjuster in her hand, "did you make this, Anna-Lynn?"

"Yes," replied the seven-year old engineer, "from scratch."

Jeanette marvelled at the contraption. Though Anna-Lynn had always shown her streak of brilliance as any prodigy did, this time was different - this was pure expert craftmanship.

"This.. is beautiful! How did you get the materials to build this?"

"At the junkyard...Me and cousin AJ went there last Monday," replied Anna-Lynn, "..I still need to perfect the valve that leads to the internal combustion chamber of the carburator...before I connect the other two converter rods I made..."

Jeanette just nodded, not entirely sure if she knew what her daughter was talking about. Not to say that she herself was never a mechanical engineer at one point as a child, but rather that literature was more her speed. This was something Simon was more likely to understand.

"U-um...okay. Just make sure this...um...this..."

"Hydraulic adjuster," finished Anna-Lynn

"Yes...that... Well make sure that this hydraulic adjuster stays away from Joanie, okay? I don't want her to accidentally get into something harmful, alright?"

"Okay, okay. But what if she ends up stealing something else? Can I hide some of this in the garage?"

"I'm afraid not, dear," replied Jeanette, getting up cautiously with her hand against the wall for support, "we have too much in there as it is."

"Fine. Guess I'll just keep my box of metal parts high on my shelf then." The girl looked at her three year-old sister, who was now sprawled on her back on the hallway floor. She pointed an accusing finger at her again, "you stay outta my stuff, you little theif."

Displeased, Jeanette put her hands on her hips, "Anna-Lynn Beatrice Seville! Don't talk to your sister like that!"

"Why? I'm sick of her stealing my auto-parts! She won't stop!" countered Anna-Lynn defiantly, "besides, it's not like she understands what I'm saying to her!"

"It doesn't matter if she does or not! You just can't speak to your sister that way-"

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

All of a sudden, the high pitched trills of the smoke detector interrupted Jeanette's confrontation with her daughter. Her head snapped to the direction of the staircase, noticing a pungent musk of smoke from downstairs - something was burning! Jeanette took immediate action, hobbling to the railing.  
"Oh dear! I forgot about dinner!"

Anna Lynn raced passed her mother, down the stairs, and into the kitchen, "don't worry, I got it!"

"No, wait! Please be careful! It's very, VERY-"

"AIYYEE!" howled Anna-Lynn. There was a sudden crashing noise, followed by the disconcerting clatter of spilled dinnerware.

"...hot..."

**Meanwhile...**

* * *

"I'm sorry, Mr. Seville. There's nothing else I can do for you. I've already told you that I've talked to the board of directors-"

"But I don't understand! Why wasn't my application looked over? What does that mean in regards to my placement as a staff member?"

Edward Hull, the chairman of Hancock Institute's physics department rested his pair of reading glasses on a stack of papers beside his desk and folded his hands calmly, staring up at the desperate employee before him. "Take a seat, Mr. Seville."

Simon knew this wasn't a good sign. His higher-up was given him that look; it was Chairman Hull's 'sit down because I'm about to tell you some bad news' look. The bespectacled chipmunk had been seeing that same expression for several years and every time, he'd left feeling even more dejected than he did before. He wondered what the damage would be this time; maybe they're downsizing because of budget cut-backs and resource restraints. Perhaps they aren't considering him for a better position at the institute because he didn't go to grad school like everyone else did, which disqualified him in many respects. Or maybe they're going to demote him the way they did years back when they replaced his line of work with technology.

These were, after all, new times: these were the days when computers were being installed in every cubicle instead of filing cabinets. These were the days when the term 'files' weren't the kind of files you can hold, write on, and keep in vanilla colored folders, but rather found on a computer and opened with a computer mouse and keyboard. These were the days when the internet was used, and research physicists like Simon weren't needed as much. If things continue the way they are with all of the technological advances that were rapidly growing, Simon, along with many others with his job would be out of a job within a year's time.

With this in mind, Simon had been planning ahead - he wrote up a new resume and applied for a job at CalTech. He wasn't about to wait around until he got fired or demoted again, no sir. As far as he was concerned, he had every right to pursue better placement in an organization; with the workload he was burdened with every night, he deserved much better than what he was getting! In fact, had many qualities a CEO inhabited: perseverance, a strong backbone, organization, coordination, resourcefulness, solidarity, and not to mention an overabundance of intelligence! If he had so many defining traits, why couldn't he be considered for a management position? What was missing?

"Listen, Mr. Hull... before you tell me what the damage is, can you tell me first the part of my application that precludes me from applying to CalTech?"

The chairman exhaled through his nose as if disenchanted by the bespectacled chipmunk's impertinence, straightening his back as he reached for the application at the corner of his desk. Reaching out once again for his reading glasses, he began flipping through Simon's file.

"Well, on the plus side, it seems that you have an excellent record with Hancock Institute. Never missed a day's work through sickness or health, you work late quite often, it seems...hmm... you graduated top of your class at Stanford University, straight honors and advanced placement throughout both high school and college, got accepted into Yale University's Grad School honor program with full scholarship from the American Honor Society..." the chairman stopped for a moment to adjust his glasses, almost confused as to what he was reading, "...but you didn't attend? Mr. Seville, why did you not take the Yale University honor program? That's only offered to a very selected group of people in this country!"

Simon sighed discontentedly, nodding slowly as his mind began wandering back to the memory of the day he turned down that opportunity.

"I...have my reasons, sir."

* * *

**June 22nd, 1992 - Simon and Jeanette are 21**

"Ah, good morning, Mr. Seville!"

"Good morning, Ambrose! What do we have today?"

The post man dug his hand into his sachel, pulling out a bundle of letters addressed to 500 Cherry Street, the Seville Residence. Simon excitedly flipped through the bunch, searching for the letter he'd be waiting for until he found it, practically throwing away the other letters that weren't what he wanted.

"Bill, bill, bill, bill...AHA! It's finally here!" he exclaimed, holding a wide, golden crested envelope up toward the sun. 'Yale University,' read the return address.

"You think I can see my results through the envelope if I looked close enough?" laughed Simon.

The postman joined him in a laugh, "well why don't ya just open it?"

"Not a chance!" chuckled the bespectacled chipmunk, "My wife woud kill me if she wasn't there with me to open it!"

"Ah... Oh, that reminds me - where is Jeanette? I have priority mail for her."

Simon took a moment to glance back at his house behind him, lowering the volume of his voice as if giving away a well-kept secret, "she's still sick. I don't know what's wrong with her, but she's been waking up every morning nowadays with a nasty stomach flu."

It was true - Jeanette's health had been a mystery ever since two weeks after their wedding day. Simon wasn't sure if it was because she missed living around her sisters all the time, or perhaps if she was just remorseful of getting married so soon after college... nearly every day for the past two months, Jeanette would go from irritable to flat-out miserable for about six hours every day. Following her frequent mood swings, she'd either resort to falling asleep early or feeling disociable. Knowing Jeanette, this wasn't even close the personality he was used to.

For two weeks after their wedding, she was perfectly fine. But when the third week came around, all hell began to break loose - soon, she was eating everything in the house, throwing up at random times in the morning, sleeping all day, complaining of headaches and backaches, and avoiding any physcial intimacy with her husband as if she felt guilty about the very idea of it! Simon was perplexed by her introverted behavior; they'd already been to the doctor for it, so what else could he do? Was there something he was missing here?

"Did you take her temperature?"

Simon nodded, "You bet I did...but she doesn't have a temperature! I would've thought that she has the flu, but she's eating eating an awful lot, so it couldn't be that, could it?"

"Oh...yeah, my wife had something like that once. But as it turns out, she was-...ahhhh..! Ahahaha!" A sudden smile bloomed on Ambrose's face, stopping mid-sentence. Without continuing, he handed Simon a little pink envelope. 'Women's Health Association - Priority Mail' was stamped to the top with 'To: Jeanette Seville.' in the center.

"What's this?" Asked a very purturbed Simon, turning the envelope in his hands.

"You'll see, buddy," said the postman, slapping him heartily on the back, "congratulations!"

The postman disappeared into his truck and drove away, leaving Simon looking around for something to be congratulated on. He fished out his letter from Yale. Was this why he was being congratulated?

"Uh...th-thank you? Bye!"

* * *

"Hey, Jeanette! Are you awake?" hollared Simon, scrambling up the stairs to the second floor. He peeked into their bedroom and found her sitting on their bed, combing her hair into her signature messy bun. Upon Simon's appearance, she stood up.

"Did you get the mail?" she asked, rolling up one of her sleeves. Her eyes scanned over the pile in his arms until she spotted the little pink envelope, causing her face to suddenly feel flush.

"Uh huh!" He searched through the pile until he found her envelope, handing it to her, "this one's for you...and guess what came in today...?"

"What?"

Simon dumped the pile of bills on their bed and held up the golden-crested letter.

Recognizing the signature emblem of the letter, Jeanette let out a gasp, "Oh! They finally decided!"

"Yeah!" Simon fidgeted awkwardly with the envelope, bending the corners back and forth as he searched for the nerve to finally open it, "Gosh, I'm so nervous... what if I didn't get in?"

"But what if you did?" encouraged Jeanette, "there are only fifteen people in the entire country that are going to get this opportunity, Simon... but...what if you're one of them?"

The idea tickled Simon's brain, causing him to smile without meaning to; what an honor it would be to go to the honors program at one of the best ivy-league colleges in the country! As a small boy, he could only dream of strolling down the stone walkway of the Yale campus and wandering the streets of New Haven, Connecticut as a proud representation of all that hard work and effort he'd dedicated to his academics. As a Yale student, he'd be studying with some of the most brilliant minds in the northern hemisphere and get to meet others who've worked just as hard as he had to be where they are. What a fantastic honor that would be! All his life, he dreamed of the today - the day he would be holding that acceptance letter from Yale University.

And right at that very moment, the only thing standing between him and glory was the contents of that golden crested envelope in his hands.

"I don't know if I can open this, Jeanette...c-can you do it?"

Jeanette was more than happy to oblige, prying the envelope from his hands and ripping it open. She tossed the envelope into the garbage can and peered up at her husband, "are you ready?"

"Yes!...wait, no! Ah! I don't know!" he laughed, deciding whether or not to cover his ears. This wasn't like Simon at all! He was acting worse than a giggly schoolgirl!

"Dear Mr. Simon Seville," read Jeanette aloud.

Simon began to pace anxiously. She continued:

"On behalf of the teachers and staff at Yale University,"

Simon was sweating, "go on! Keep reading!"

"...we would like to inform you..." said Jeanette, holding back to add suspense.

"yes...?!"

"that after reviewing your application, credentials, and recommendations," she paused again, grinning mischeivously.

Simon pulled at his hair, "You're killing me, Jeanette! Quit teasing me!"

She continued reading:

"we have decided...to-" her recitation was cut off my a sudden intake of breath.

"decided what?! Decided to _what?!_" With that, Simon ran over and took the paper out of her hand, reading over the page until he read one word: _'Congratulations!'_

He didn't need to read any more than that one word. In less than a second, Simon took off out of the room and down the hall, rejoicing in celebration, "YAAAAAAHAHAHAAA!"

Jeanette burst into laughter, watching her eccentric husband as he paraded around the house chanting: "I got in! I got in! Yale Honors! _Fifteen_ in the country and I'm one of 'em!"

"You'd better be careful, Simon! Slow down! Don't hurt yourse-EEEEK!"

Simon cut her off, picking her up by her hips and spinning her around recklessly. At that point, he had no idea what he was doing! He was so happy, the world could've been ending at that very moment and he wouldn't notice, nor would he care! Simon Seville, the responislbe one of the three Seville boys was delirious!

"Gah! Simon, put me down!" laughed Jeanette, failing her arms, "you crazy man! Put me down!"

Simon followed her orders, plopping her down on their bed, then joined her. He gazed at his wife, still overflowing with elation as pulled her closer to his body. The feeling of complacency was enough to totally overwhelm him - everything he'd worked hard for was finally his. After all those times he spend staying up late into the early morning to finish work, every hour of studying hard and going the extra mile in his academics had finally paid off! If there ever was such a feeling as conquering, he was experiencing it... and what a feeling it was!

Simon was on top of the world.

"Oh Jeanette..." he began breathlessly, "gosh...I don't know where to begin! Everything right now is so perfect!"

"I'm so happy for you, Simon!" murmurred Mrs. Seville, moving closer to her husband

"I wish things could just...stay the way they are right now, you know? I must be the luckiest man in the world! Everything is exactly where I want it to be - I have a great house, the opportunity of a lifetime..." he smiled softly, leaning down and kissing his wife's lips gently, "I married my favorite chipette..."

Jeanette smiled shyly, her face turning his favorite color of powder pink, staring into the deep blue of his eyes. Silence fell over the room as the two laid together in peace.

"I wonder what the next blessing will be," pondered Simon, twirling a loose strand of her hair with his finger.

Over on the side table, Jeanette noticed the unopened pink letter from under the lamp light. Just then, it occurred to her; things definitely were changing...and that little envelope would most likely determine that things were about to get a lot more complicated.

"Yeah," said Jeanette, apprehension washing over her entire body, "I wonder..."

If what was inside that envelope was what she thought, their lives were about to drastically change.

* * *

Later that evening, the couple was preparing to do what they routinely did at six - getting ready to sit down for a casual dinner for two. However, tonight would be different; tonight was a celebration dinner by candlelight. Jeanette was in the kitchen preparing the last of their dinner as Simon set the table, putting down a table cloth and then searching the cabinet for a set of decorative candles.

"Hey hon?" called Simon, "where are the candles?"

"They're in the utilities closet," she replied. Simon headed into the main hall and toward the door by the back entrance of the house. He swung open the door and dug through the contents of each shelf, but to no avail. No candles here.

"Nope. I don't see them. Did you put them somewhere else?"

"Uh... try the bathroom closet near our room."

He complied, making his way up the stairs and into their room to the bathroom closet where he found the candles immediately, but just as he was about to walk away, he spotted something in the corner of his eye from under the garbage bin...

It was small, purple, and rectangular; an opened box. He picked it up...

'_First Response Home Pregnancy Test'_

Simon's entire body went cold, causing him to drop the box of decorative candles. Could it be? Did Jeanette think she was pregnant?!

At the very feel of the opened box, his fingers trembled. It felt as though a twenty pound rock was forming in the center of his stomach, causing his knees to weaken and his heart to pound harder and harder as he thought of all the signs he'd missed. How could he not see it before? Her persistent morning sickness, her headaches and backaches, mood swings, fatigue, her food cravings... they were all obvious symptoms of pregnancy! All this time and he couldn't figure it out!

And to think he was accepted into the Yale honors program!

At that moment, Simon wasn't sure what he was feeling. For now, his emotions were a tightly tangled; a flustered hurricane of pure helplessness and consternation; what was he going to do now? Would he have to go and sit down to dinner with his wife and pretend as though he didn't find that box? If he didn't, then at what point would his curiosity get the better of him and finally cause him to break down and ask Jeanette if she'd conceived?

But most of all, Simon wondered how he would ask her...

After all, Jeanette could have possibly taken the test and had it come out negative. All of his hysteria could've been for nothing! He was going to have to treat this like a science experiment - what he had to do was test his hypothesis.

* * *

"Simon, honey?" began Jeanette with evidence of concern in her tone, "what's wrong? You've barely touched your dinner... a-and you seem rather glum. Is something bothering you?"

Simon didn't respond verbally, but rather with an emotionless shake of his head. He stared at the center of his plate and contemplated at least trying to poke at his broccoli, but then decided against it. The problem was definitely not her food; in fact, Jeanette usually made pretty decent home-cooked meals. But the chipmunk's mind was elsewhere; he was too busy trying to find a way to get her to tell him about his unanswered question: was she pregnant or not? This plagued his mind all the way through their celebratory dinner, making it difficult to think about much else or even to enjoy this time with his wife. Moment by moment, his appetite was diminishing...

Until suddenly, he got an idea...

"Jeanette, how about we have some champagne?" proposed Simon, going to the wine cabinet above their refrigerator. He grabbed two champagne flutes and a bottle of champagne from their wedding. Promptly after uncorking the champagne bottle, he cautiously poured the wine into each of the glasses and steadily carried them into the other room to his wife.

"One for you, my dear," he said, handing her a glass, "and one for me."

Jeanette stared at the glass timorously, as if it was a glass of poison.

"U-uh, I'm okay with just water, thanks..." admitted Jeanette, handing back the glass.

"Oh, but Jeanette!" goaded Simon, playing along, "you do want to give a toast to me in celebration for being accepted into Yale, don't you?"

"O-of course! I-i just...I'm just not a wine drinker, that's all!"

Jeanette got up from her seat and began to move around, finding something to occupy herself with. She decided to begin cleaning the dinner table, transporting plates and platters back into the kitchen to be saved and refrigerated or washed.

Simon looked down at her wine glass on the table and back at her, following her as she worked, "really? Because...on our wedding day, you drank this same champagne without hesitation. In fact, I believe you drank at least two..."

"U-uh...well...I...I guess I just-"

"When did you just decide that you weren't a wine drinker?"

"I just did. That's all..."

Simon blocked the doorway, his deep, penetrating stare causing her to tense up.

"Why?" He asked.

Jeanette hesitated as she realized that there was no where else to go. The chipette tried to push her way through his arms to get into the kitchen, but he resisted.

"Because I...because-!"

Silence.

"Jeanette," started Simon, breaking through the barrier of silence, "...that little pink envelope you got today in the mail...what did it say?"

No answer.

"Please, Jeanette...please. Just tell me."

"It said nothing," replied his wife coldly, "nothing, okay? Can I please finish cleaning off the table now?"

She waited until her husband obeyed to continue her trips to the kitchen until the entire dinner table was spotless. From there, she worked on the porcelain plates in the sink, diligently scrubbing each one until they were all spotless and ready to be placed back in the cupboards. Meanwhile, she could feel Simon's eyes on her, spying on his as if he was about to go in for the kill; any moment now and she felt like he would burst apart.

When he asked the question, she would have to answer honestly...and that killed her. She could already feel the tears flooding to the corners of her eyes, and the dinner plate she was washing began to feel as heavy as an iron anchor. It broke her heart to be keeping such a big secret from her husband, but what could she do? Today was not the right day to be telling him that they would be having a baby! His dream was just now coming true - what right did she have to just steal it out from under him within the same day?

Once she told him, she knew he'd be giving everything up. Knowing Simon, he wouldn't leave California to go to the northeast if he knew about her pregnancy. Simon was a good man - a caring man and loving husband. After seeing how joyful and deliriously happy he was earlier that day, it was cruel to think about it all being taken away within just a day's time. Jeanette knew how taxing this new truth was and it broke her heart to pieces thinking of the tremendous sacrifices he'd have to make now that they were expecting a child. Giving up Yale, giving up his goals and opportunities all because of her. Everything would be over for him and it would be all her fault.

But things couldn't stay like this; the truth would have to come out sooner or later. Over time, Simon would begin to notice changes in his wife - physical changes. Besides, she hated lying to him; it was wrong. She loved him far too much to withhold anything from him, especially this.  
And then, like a shot in the darkness, Simon's voice pierced through the silent tension with the question Jeanette had been dreading to hear:

"Jeanette...Are you...pregnant?"

Electricity rippled throughout Jeanette's body, causing her to shudder at the word. 'Pregnant.' What a word it was... and how strange and horrifying it was to have that word to describe herself...

Jeanette was lost in thought, searching desperately for words she could say in response; her lips quivered as she struggled to articulate an answer, "...I..."

Then, everything crashed down: the emotional threshold she'd been keeping stable, the tears which were now flowing in rivulets from under her glass and over her flushed cheeks, the truth that she'd been keeping locked up...even the porcelain plate she was holding crashed into pieces on the kitchen floor as she hit the ground on her knees.

"Yes, I am!" She blurted, beginning to weep. She covered her face with her hands in shame. No sooner did she begin crying did her husband race to her side, immediately tending to his distressed wife with a warm embrace. He held her in his arms, allowing her to cry into his shirt as he smoothed his warm hands over her back. They remained that way in silence until she was finally able to speak again.

"I don't know what to do, Simon!" she cried, "I don't know why my birth control pills didn't prevent this...a-and I-! I tried to-...to take the test at home, but I wasn't sure if it was right so I-...so I went to the Women's Health Clinic and they sent my results today but I-...! I-! I just-!"

"Shhh, it's okay," hushed Simon, calmly taking her face in his hands and pushing away her tears gently with his thumbs, "Jeanette... why didn't you tell me this?"

Jeanette's breathing was getting heavier as her pitiful crying turned into sobbing, "You got accepted into the Yale Honors program a-and... and you were so happy!" She was now choking on sobs, "a-and so I figured, 'what right do I have to take this away from him?' S-so I-! I thought I could take care of myself instead of telling you a-and let you go to... to Connecticut and take your classes at Yale-"

Simon's eyes widened, awe-stricken. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, "wait, what? Jeanette, you don't mean to tell me that you were planning to let me go away to Yale and leave you to take care of our baby all on your own, do you?!"

Jeanette avoided eye contact with her husband, remaining motionless but still sobbing. Simon sighed heavily, his voice lowering in volume, "...don't you realize that I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I left you to do this alone?"

Her eyes met his for a moment; he looked hurt - grief-stricken.

"B-but Simon... You've been fantasizingly about going there your whole life! All of those year you spent preparing for it a-and you've worked so hard! Yale is your dream-"

"But so is this!" Simon interjected, smoothing the strands of tear-soaked hair out of her face. His gaze softened as he held her delicate face in his hands.

"...how can I leave for Connecticut and live out some fantasy when all I've ever needed is right here?"

Jeanette's heartrate increased, giving her lightheadedness at his remark. Solemnly, he continued.

"Jeanette...I've worked my whole life to get where I am now. And yes, I've always dreamed of going to Yale at some point. But while I sat around dreaming of 'if' and 'maybe', you were there right beside me, working next to me and being there when I needed you."

"B-but you don't need me, Simon..." wept Jeanette, "you've gotten as far as you have without my assistance! Me and the baby will only be holding you back. I can do this alone-"

"No, Jeanette!" he rejected, "I can't let you do that!"

Jeanette hatched a sudden idea, taking his hands in hers, "...you could take us with you! The baby will grow up far away from family, live in the city, and we'd have to sell the house, but at least you can still-"

"We're not doing that." stated Simon firmly. Jeanette quieted, watching as her husband's posture wilted...

"...because I'm not going to Connecticut."

"What?! _No!_ Simon, you _have_ to go! This is a chance of a lifetime!"

"I... don't care."

"But you-"

"_No._ I'm staying here with you. I'll get a better job, we'll clean out the guest room and turn it into the baby's room, we'll finish all the renevations on this house, we'll go to every check-up and altrasound..."

He squeezed her hands.

"I'll take care of you, Jeanette because... that's all that really matters to me. I don't need Yale or a fancy master's degree to make me feel more intelligent or valued. I have _you_...and the baby, too!"

His body eased up, allowing him to smile tenderly.

"Trust me, Jeanette. Everything's going to be fine. Just fine."

Seeing that she'd calmed down and her tears had dried, Simon pulled his wife into an embrace, resolving the intensity of the situation. She settled into him, sniffing from the after-effects of her rampant sobbing.

The two of them stayed that way for a while on the kitchen floor, swaying as they held each other as Simon kept repeating, "...Just fine..."

* * *

**Back to modern day, 2000**

"Mr. Seville? ...Mr. Seville?"

No response.

"Mr. Seville! Simon Seville!"

Simon jolted back into reality, recovering from his vivid and unexpected flashback. He adjusted his tie and blinked a few times in an effort to bring his mind back into focus.

"...I'm...sorry... What was it you just asked?"

"I asked if you'd like me to take your case file to the co-director to see if there's something else we could do about your application."

Simon cleared his throat and gave a nod as he repositioned himself in his seat. He awkwardly tried to make himself comfortable after having been disengaged for so long. As the chairman left the room to speak with the co-director, Simon thought about how embarrassing it was to have been caught in the act of 'zoning out.' He felt ashamed - it's very unprofessional behavior to be even slightly unattentive in any corporate setting, and even more so in the circumstance of trying to find a better job! For now, Simon blamed it on his sleep deprivation, lack of breakfast, and the fact that he had not yet had his daily requirement of coffee. He didn't care about robbing his body of it's nutrients - but it didn't matter as long as he made even money to provide his family with them.

A couple of minutes passed in the office and Simon watched the ticking clock.

6:15pm.

His stomach roared at the thought of dinner. His entire family would be at his home tonight; his father, his mother-in-law, his brothers, his sisters-in-law, his niece and nephews...and, of course, his wife and daughters. Everyone he loved and wanted to be with would be gathered at his dinner table and here he was, waiting around for a job that cuts him enough slack so he can maybe join them one of these days and actually not miss out.

But here he was, waiting...

****"Mr. Seville," called the chairman's voice through the doorway, "please join us in the conference room for a moment."


End file.
